Zach Gallen returns to Diamondbacks on one-year, $22.05 million deal

Zac Gallen throws a pitch
Zac Gallen throws a pitch Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks brought back one of their own in starting pitcher Zac Gallen on a one-year, $22.05 million deal on Friday.

His deal includes $14 million in deferred money. It's also the same deal that the D'Backs extended as a qualifying offer back in November 2025, which Gallen originally denied. 

The new signing comes shortly after the Baltimore Orioles gave starting pitcher Chris Bassitt a one-year, $18.5 million deal. 

Gallen, 30, is coming off the worst season of his career, posting a career-high 4.83 earned run average with a career-worst 15 losses and 66 walks. His 2.65 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings are also both career lows. 

He made his big-league debut in 2019 with the Miami Marlins before the team sent him off to the D'Backs, in exchange for then Jazz Chisolm Jr, where he's spent the next six years of his career before becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason. 

Gallen, once a proven threat on the mound, made his first All-Star appearance in 2023 and set a career high of 220 strikeouts - ultimately placing third in National League Cy Young voting. The veteran hasn't surpassed 180 strikeouts in the past two seasons. 

He has a career 3.58 ERA with 1,060 strikeouts in 1,007.1 innings. Gallen is third on the all-time Diamondbacks wins list with 66. He needs just 22 more to surpass Brandon Webb to climb to the second spot, but he will need 54 more if he wants to surpass the legend Randy Johnson. 

Arizona will start their regular season on March 27th against the Chicago Cubs.

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